I Heard, I Saw - Part II
by Half-Demon-Cali
Summary: Most of the gang is left weakened and ill from their fight with Joaquin. When someone speaks up in the middle of the night, Chung has a hard time telling if it's from the heart or if it's a mere hallucination. [Heavily implied pairing; no slash] [Twoshot]
1. Chapter 1

I decided to turn this into a twoshot because I'm lucky I even began writing this. (I mean, the first part got uploaded like... last December.)

Some stuff in chapter two of this will make a lot more sense if you read the first part first. And, as always with my writing, everyone but Elsword is their Imperial class. Elboy remains a Rune Slayer.

Note: Ara does not appear because with the way the game's story is put together in my head chronologically, she does not meet the Elgang until the Hamel chapter.

* * *

There would normally be sound coming from the house on the edge of territories where the six heroes took up residence. A terrible lot of it, actually; whether it was screaming, arguing, or simple training, it was never hard to figure out which of them was home and what they were doing.

For tonight, however, the house was silent. Painfully, dreadfully silent. And Chung Seiker, former prince of Hamel, was caught up in the center of it and unable to escape. Though he loathed the tense atmosphere and wanted so badly to escape it, as a guardian he was unwilling to leave his friends when they needed him as much as they did.

After they'd successfully done away with the Dark Nephilim that had been summoned, there was still one loose end to clean up – Joaquin. The demon alchemist had run off some time in the middle of everything and left behind some particularly nasty chemicals and potions. Not only was clean-up necessary but they had to either contain Joaquin somewhere or kill him on the spot to make sure he didn't escape and start brewing his concoctions again.

It proved to be more hell than he was really worth. In trying to detain the alchemist, they were not only bruised and cut and bleeding all over, but were biologically contaminated via the potions they'd been working so hard to collect and get rid of. Joaquin throwing more at them hadn't helped, either.

Chung wasn't even sure how they'd manage to finish him off without falling all over each other in sickness. By the time their battle was done, the only ones stable and standing were him and Eve. Eve was a Nasod and powered by El, which prevented her from feeling any side effects. He was human through and through but because his Freiturnier was infused with El, the armor blocked and or prevented most of the contaminants from affecting him. He was dizzy for quite some time and had to be helped back to the Velder camp, but he'd been fine after resting in one of the tents. A rather lucky break considering he had no idea his armor could function as a purifier.

He wished the others shared his luck.

Elsword and Aisha had the worst reactions to the exposure. Magic users or not, they were only human and the chemicals Joaquin had on him were made to be fatal to them. Raven was miraculously not as bad as they were, something Chung was surprised at. The man was human himself, but perhaps his age and endurance had something to do with it? Rena, for sure, wasn't human; but she was apparently biologically similar enough for the chemicals to take their toll on her.

He really had to thank Elesis and the other knights who had helped get them back to their home. (Bless the person who situated them close enough to the Velder Kingdom.) He wasn't sure if they'd have made it without their help. Of course, Elesis was downright furious upon finding her brother in such a state – And without a doubt would have taken off Joaquin's head had he not already been dead. More than anything, Chung saw in how she moved and the way she handled Elsword on the way back that she wished she'd been there fighting with them. She wished she'd been able to protect him. As someone very familiar with military procedure, Chung understood that the leader of the Red Knights could not just abandon her troops and leave to fight so suddenly. It was against protocol and against her own inner code. Still…

The prince felt a tear in his heart as he remembered his father. It pained him to agree with her decision, but in war there was little time for thinking of family. There was only winning and losing and you had to do what you could to make sure you didn't wind up buried ten feet underground.; and it was a hesitant thanks to their newest acquaintance that that's not where his teammates were right now.

After trashing the Southern Gate, they'd met possibly the biggest nutcase Chung had seen to date: A degenerate copycat named Add who'd taken from Nasod technology and was greedy for more codes than he had already acquired. From his psychotic laughter to his interest in Eve, everything about the man was unsettling.

And yet, he was a scientist. A desperate, greedy scientist who was open for trade.

"_If you're talking biological contamination, I could probably do something about that… but not without a price, of course."_

Codes, of course. That's what he was talking about. Codes. Add's crazed grin should've been a turn-off right then and there. There was no indication that this man could be trusted. Elesis, somehow, seemed to think the ponytailed albino was alright due to him having helped the Velder army earlier. At the very least, she seemed more convinced than he was.

Chung was nowhere near okay with this man being anywhere _near_ Eve. Or scissors. Or any other sharp objects, for that matter. Stable and trustworthy were not words he'd use to describe him.

That hadn't stopped the Nasod empress from accepting the terms and trading over something that Chung couldn't place the name of. He wasn't the savviest when it came to technology. Circuits? Maybe that was it? Either way, it was a piece of Nasod technology and Add had accepted it.

"_This is the only thing you will be getting from me. There will be no transactions like this in the future. I hope you realize that."_

"_Fine by me. I was never planning on __**asking**__ you for the codes, anyway. Hehehe…"_

Chung knew it was for the best. Their friends wouldn't survive without something, some kind of medicine, to cleanse the chemicals from their systems. Even so… Though the circuit had been small, the fact that Eve gave a part of herself to the lunatic left a bad taste in his mouth.

Yet if they didn't have that same lunatic's help, it was very possible that Elsword and the others would have been goners by now. Instead, they were here a day later, still fighting with the contaminants and appearing to be at a standstill.

Chung looked out the window anxiously. The last bit of sunlight was disappearing from the sky, the blackness of night bleeding into the wisps of red and orange. It was almost time for their second dosage.

"_Let me be very clear: They get two __**very**__ small amounts injected into their arm and that is __**it**__. One now, one twenty-four hours later. There's a bit of a grace period, so you don't have to give it after __**exactly**__ twenty-four hours… but best do it close, or you risk screwing everything up. I don't think this is something you want to do wrong."_

He wasn't a doctor. He was no good with needles. He wasn't used to using them. He didn't know how to find veins, or anything else in the human body. Plus the idea of sticking the instruments into his friends' arms unnerved him to a large extent. Thankfully Eve could handle doing it. She'd be able to with steady hands, as opposed to him who would be shaking from nerves the whole time.

From the stairwell, Chung caught the sound of Eve's dainty heels. The Empress soon came into sight, moving past their resting area to the kitchen. Chung immediately stood up and went after her.

"Eve!" he called from the doorway. "Is it time?"

"As close to it as we are going to get," Eve said monotonously. She picked up the medicinal box from the countertop and turned around. "Would you like to assist?"

"Assist?" Chung repeated nervously. "I… um…"

"You do not have to handle the medicine itself," Eve reassured him. "I do not want to mistakes to be made. That in mind, I simply require that our friends be held down and do not move when I give them the cure so they do not mess up the injection."

"Oh… I think I can do that."

"Excellent. Come with me."

* * *

They were starting with the girls, he realized as they made their way up the stairs. Why, he didn't know.

"Umm, Eve?" he asked as they came to Aisha's room. "Couldn't we have made our way up and started with Elsword and Raven?"

"It will be much easier this way. Take my word for it."

And that was all she said on the matter before opening the door without a problem.

Surprisingly, Ophelia was already inside and at Aisha's bedside. Chung raised a brow. Yet something else questionable, but at least he had a probable answer for this one. Ophelia had probably been watching over the mage for a bit to make sure nothing drastic happened. Oberon was likely stationed somewhere as well.

Eve handed the small box to Ophelia, who held it up as her queen opened it and examined its contents. The Empress pulled out a vial of clear liquid and held it up to the waning light coming from the window.

"I can see that man was not exaggerating when he said only a very small amount should be given. I do not see how this is even enough for two people, never mind four. As no one has died following their first dose, however, I suppose I should not be questioning the medicine's effectiveness. It must be a very potent drug."

"… Eve…" Chung bit his lip. "I know why you did it, but… Did you really have to give Add part of your codes? I don't trust him. He's got a maniacal grin, and a laugh to match… Not to mention I doubt he'll use Nasod codes for the greater good. He looks like he's in it for himself and who knows _what_ else."

"I quite agree. That is why it was necessary to trick him."

"… Say what?" Even put her hand down and stared at Chung.

"I would not be so stupid as to give that man any of my current codes. In that circuitry he will find nothing that could benefit him. It was an old part of my coding which was obsolete the moment I awoke for a second time. I stopped using it due to it being outdated and outfitting myself with newer, more updated codes. The Dynamo that man crafted were far too advanced for that coding to be of any use to him. However, I do not think he will notice for now. He is full of himself and too power-hungry to be able to tell the difference without close examination and he did not partake in such while we were still in Velder. I realize my actions may have consequences in the future, but right now they are not of my concern. I will deal with that man when the time comes."

Had the situation not been so serious, Chung would have laughed or at least smiled. He should've known Eve wouldn't trust Add. Leave it to her to pull a fast one like that with no hint of it whatsoever. He almost wished he could see the albino man's face when he realizes he got jilted in that deal.

Almost. He didn't want to get near Add again anytime soon, much less if he was angry.

By the time the guardian had finished his thoughts, Eve was already pulling the tiny needle from the vial of medicine and inspecting it. She scrutinized every part of it, checking to make sure it wasn't defective. When she was sure there would be no problems, she motioned Chung over.

"I will need you to hold her wrist down very tightly. Any movement at all could mess up the injection."

"Alright." Chung carefully pulled back Aisha's bedcovers and threw the corner off to the side.

The former prince winced as he got a good look at her. The mage's face was contorted in pain and she was breathing heavily. There was also no shortage of sweat coming off of her – Her hair was glued to her brow, her cheeks, and her neck as if the perspiration were an adhesive. The smell of sickness was all around and, though it was unpleasant, Chung knew he couldn't disobey an order from Eve and that this would be best in the end.

Ignoring the taste of the air around him, Chung knelt down beside Aisha and put his hand over her wrist. He gave a nod to Eve to give her a green light to do it. Eve carefully bent down and pulled Aisha's skin tight with her left hand, readying the needle carefully above.

The tip entered the mage's skin swiftly and precisely. Chung was amazed Aisha hadn't moved at all at the insertion. His amazement transitioned when his grip was met with a surprising amount of resistance. He pressed down harder as Aisha's arm threatened to break free, easily pinning it down with his superior strength.

Though her struggle lasted a few seconds, she just as quickly calmed down and stilled. Eve removed the needle and placed it in a separate pouch.

"I am finished here. You may remove your hand."

"Oh, uh, of course." Chung quickly retracted his limb and stood up, drawing Aisha's covers over her once again. "Are we going to handle Rena next?"

"Indeed. And I'm sure you will find that your job will become significantly harder each time."

"Huh?" Chung blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You will see."

* * *

He did see. He saw very clearly what Eve meant.

Aisha was a mage – Smart and powerful, but lacking severely in physical strength. She was easy to hold down. The others were a bit more tricky.

Rena almost flat out kneed him in the face out of reflex while he was attempting to hold her arm steady. He expected resistance, but not from her legs. She struggled for much longer than Aisha did initially as well. Thankfully Ophelia had put a stop to her moving before he could get a concussion.

Elsword was no different. In fact, had he been before Rena he might've been easier to deal with. He was smaller than the elf and Chung was in no danger of being kicked due to the swordsman's muscles not accustomed to bending that way in the first place. However, the strength of his arms was much more in comparison and the guardian found he had to use both hands to keep the redhead from messing up his dosage. Oberon, who'd been watching over him, hadn't even needed to help. (At that point, it became clear to the ex-prince that the servants had been put in charge of watching over the most vulnerable members of the team.)

Dealing with Raven was hell. Not only was Chung worn since holding the latter two, but the veteran was an adult who was just as strong as he was and had _much_ more muscle. He also wasn't keen on having a foreign object inserted into his human arm, apparently. Chung hadn't even held his usual position that time – Ophelia took his human arm, Oberon had his Nasod arm, and Chung had his ankles. Avoiding a kick to the face was just as difficult as it'd been with Rena.

By the time they managed to both finish giving Raven the injection and sedating him, Chung was decidedly tired; and he knew it was going to last. He was still drained emotionally and his nerves remained wracked. He wouldn't be able to rest, figuratively and literally, until his friends were in the clear. Medicine or not, they still required care and watching over until they'd gotten the chemicals out of their systems.

Chung heaved a sigh, taking his customary glance out the window. This was going to be another long night.

* * *

Will try to get the second part up soon, but I'm plagued with ideas and schoolwork so... We'll see.


	2. Chapter 2

Welp, took me some time but I did get to it. Finally. This is where it connects with the first part.

I realized, this was very much male-centric as the first part was female-centric... I didn't plan that, but there you go.

Here's to sincerely hoping I didn't screw up anyone.

* * *

Eve assured him that everything would be fine. It was safe to let them be. They needed their rest and would do better without noise and interruptions during their sleep. He could respect that; but that didn't mean he'd listen entirely.

Where family was concerned – And he did think of them as a secondary family – worry sometimes overrode what he knew was right. Thus he found himself still awake far into the night, periodically checking up on the four at mentally-scheduled intervals.

Naturally, he tried to be as quiet possible. He was not so stupid as to ignore what Eve said. They'd certainly do better to sleep without having to hear him move around. Heck, he'd have known that _without_ her having to tell him. It was, however, somewhat difficult to maneuver throughout the house when the doors, floors, and stairs liked to squeak at inappropriate times.

Currently he was on the second floor, slowly and carefully wiping the excess sweat from his older sister figure's brow. Aisha's breathing had slowed and evened considerably since the last time he'd been in her room. Though he was sure this was a good sign, her fever had still not broken and she was totally drenched in her own perspiration every time he saw her. The others were more or less the same of course, but given her small size she was the biggest concern to him. Sweating was a big way to cleanse one's body of infection and illness, sure; but water is lost when you do, and losing excessive amounts could lead to dehydration.

_If it's not one thing, it's another,_ Chung sighed in his head as he sat on the edge of the Elemental Master's mattress. Cradling her shoulders as best he could, he propped her up to a workable angle and reached for the canteen he'd brought. It wasn't much, and he likely wouldn't get her to down even a fourth… but he'd do what he could.

Hoping she was aware enough to take a drink, he set the canteen's opening to her lips and tilted it with caution. The guardian watched her carefully, waiting for a sign that she was receptive of the water before trying more.

After a patient minute, it appeared she'd been able to swallow the small amount. Chung held in a breath of relief. That was already a major improvement from earlier, where she'd had no response to anything he did. He nudged the canteen a bit more, hoping to push his luck with getting her to drink more, but pulled away instantaneously when she began to cough.

It took a surprising amount of will to not jump at how she convulsed. The paladin quickly set the canteen down on her nightstand and adjusted the angle he'd been holding her at so she could breathe easier.

Once the coughing passed, Aisha was quiet once more. This time, his breath of relief made it past his lips. The last thing he wanted was for her to choke.

He slid from her bedside silently, slowly lowering her to her back and beneath her covers once again. Chung picked up the towel and canteen, staring at the latter with a frown. _She really didn't drink much_, he noted. But it's way better than nothing.

"_Nnnngghh_… Quit it…"

The blond's head turned so fast he thought he might've heard his heartbeat. "Big sis…?" he called softly. Aisha was unresponsive to his voice, but was making quite the face in her sleep.

"I said _quit_ it, Elsword… El tree fruit is for _pets_ only… And what are you doing with Chloe…? I don't care if she's dressed like a rainbow… Get away from her…"

Chung stared at the purplenette in confusion. He concluded she must be dreaming. Or hallucinating, more likely. Probably a side effect of Joaquin's chemicals making their way out of her system. (He doubted she dreamed of such odd things on a daily basis, though he wouldn't really know.)

The guardian quickly decided that her drug-induced fantasies were none of his business, and that he'd bothered her enough for the time being. He exited the room swiftly and closed the door just enough to leave a crack – Inwardly cursing at its squeak as he did.

* * *

Amusingly enough, Aisha was not the only one suffering from delusional sleep talk. He'd gone to Rena's room directly after since she was on the same floor and found that the archer was also a good deal out of her drowsy mind. Her ramblings consisted less of fruit and Elsword and more of two people he'd never heard of named Amelia and Lime, whom he assumed were friends from the elven dimension. He almost stayed to chuckle at how cute it was hearing her talk of her younger days… but bolted straight out of the room with no regard for sound once he realized that her 'dream' had turned into a rather disturbing scenario involving two people named Stella and Banthus.

Elsword talking was amusing in its own way, for the sole reason that he said things similar to Aisha. He looked far less comfortable though, gripping at his sheets and rolling around everywhere. The most interesting things he'd said had been along the lines of begging Aisha to believe him, him swearing that it wasn't what it looked like, and crying that some girl just 'wanted him for his runes' and that he was powerless against anything that wasn't the color red. He also seemed to have turned into a Phoru halfway through, though he wasn't sure how that was related to the former phrases.

As cruel as it sounded, he'd be lying if he said he didn't stay in Elsword's room longer just to hear him talk in his dreams under the influence. He was by far the most humorous out of the group. The paladin almost didn't want to leave the room in case he missed something funny; but he knew better than that. One person's suffering should not be another's entertainment. Plus he had one more person to check up on and it wouldn't do him any good to be ignored.

Shutting the door to Elsword's room, Chung made his way further down the hall to where the oldest human member of their group resided. So far, Raven had been the least reactive to both him and the medicine. As neither a scientist nor doctor, he couldn't tell if this was good or not; but he kept a certain manner of positivity concerning the Blade Master, telling himself that the lack of responsiveness meant that the man was better at dealing with pain.

Chung pushed the door open and peeked in. Nothing appeared to have changed since the last he'd checked on the swordsman. The covers were positioned exactly the way he'd left them and Raven remained almost completely still.

If the paladin didn't already know that that was just the way he slept, he would be very concerned that the veteran might not be breathing. He was somewhat unsure about trying to give the man water, though. He'd heard stories from Elsword and Aisha about how they'd accidentally woken up Raven before. Rena assured him he wasn't _always_ that cranky, but nevertheless… it didn't sound like something he wanted to experience.

Even so, he was sure Raven would make an exception and not get angry with him. After all, he was only trying to help him. (Or better yet, maybe Raven wouldn't wake up at all.) Chung settled himself on the edge of the bed as best he could without moving it. He twisted off the canteen's cap and shifted back to Raven, prepared to do the same as he'd done thrice before, but instead of going to hold his shoulders the blond was met with a golden glare that seemed to glow in the dark.

Chung immediately backpedaled and stood up as Raven pushed himself up with a grunt. He stared at his friend with wide blue eyes. He hadn't expected him to wake up like that. He thought the man would be out having hallucinations like the others.

Admittedly, this was probably a better alternative. Chung wasn't sure he wanted to know what kind of things could go on inside the veteran's head.

Raven ran his human hand through his bangs slowly, holding his head in obvious pain. "What's going on…?" he asked hoarsely. He began coughing as Aisha had almost immediately after talking. Chung held his hand out without hesitation, urging him to take the canteen.

"Glad to see you're awake," he answered softly as the noise died down. "Are you better now?" Raven turned his head to the side, studying his teammate carefully.

"… You're Chung, right? Where is this? What's tha-?" Another cough. Chung moved closer and again held his hand out.

"You're at home. And this is one of the canteens. I filled it with water so-" He didn't even need to finish his sentence before Raven snatched said canteen from him. Chung stared as he emptied it in one go and held it off to the side.

"Thanks," the swordsman said in a breath. "That's a lot better…" Chung took the canteen back as he tried to visually inspect his friend. He seemed to be fine, but…

"So, uh, how are you feeling Raven?"

"Better…" he sighed as he crashed onto his back, "but I can barely see. My vision's blurry as hell…"

"Oh." That explained his earlier questions. "And you're… fine? Other than that?"

"Dead tired, but not dead," Raven deadpanned, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "… How are the others?" Chung bit his lip.

"Well… not awake yet, for one. They're all still unconscious. … And hallucinating, at that."

"… Hallucinating…?"

"Yeah… I think it's from whatever drugs Joaquin had. They rest of them are sleep-talking and… are definitely not stringing together coherent thoughts. Heck, Elsword and Aisha seem to be having the same weird dream…"

"… And Rena…?"

"… I… don't remember."

"… But she's safe?"

"Yeah. She's still sleeping too, but she's going to be fine." He could've sworn he heard a sigh of relief from Raven following his words, but it was more likely he was just out of breath.

"That's good… That's… That's great… She's fine… They're all fine…"

"Yes, they are…" Chung eyed his curiously. "You know, I'm surprised you're not hallucinating too. You're not too different from the others, so why are you the only one fine?" Raven snorted.

"If only I was more knowledgeable about the human body… I could tell you." His attempt at sounding cynical was half-hearted at best. He might've been better than the rest of the group, but he sounded even more tired as he looked. "I'm glad I'm not hallucinating, though… I don't want to _know_… what kind of fucked up things my mind could come up with… and I certainly don't want it playing tricks on me again…"

"A… Again…?" Chung blinked. "You've, uh… Have you ever… you know… gone under like that?"

It was truly a talent Raven had, coming up with such a frighteningly chilling glare that made Chung almost forget that the man was ill.

"I have never taken part in such… _activities_…" the Blade Master growled.

"O-Oh, okay… I was just… checking…" Chung stuttered. "But then, umm… I… don't quite understand what you're talking about." This time, he was _sure_ he heard a sigh; but it was less of relief and more of weary. Raven's anger deflated just as quickly as it'd appeared.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't…" he muttered. He stared forward in silent contemplation, and for a brief second Chung thought he might've fallen asleep again. He was soon proven wrong. "Chung, do you… Do you remember when… the bridge in Velder… the demons, they…"

"Are you talking about the Hope Bridge?" Chung asked, piecing together what he could. "And when the demons set it on fire?" Raven gave a slight nod.

"What a mess that situation was…"

And what an understatement _that_ was. Chung had never seen such an ocean of flame and destruction in his life. The demons did a real number on making sure Velder's bridge was utterly decimated. Heck, parts of the bridge collapsed even before they were burned.

It was a chaotic event for sure, even more since they'd all been separated. He'd barely known where to go. If it wasn't for Elesis, he might've wound up going in a circle until the fire burned off the last bits of oxygen in the air.

He didn't get the gist of what happened with the others. When they regrouped in the city everyone was immediately swamped with the remaining medics and inspected for any injuries. When he, Elesis, and the long searched-for Elsword made it out, Eve and Aisha were already there and waiting. Raven and Rena followed some time after, the former carrying the latter in his arms.

Yes, he remembered that very clearly. He remembered that the elf had been the first to get seriously injured before they were split up and the last to recover.

Mess didn't even begin to describe how that day went.

"Did something happen back then…?" Chung asked, tearing his mind away from his memories.

"Something did… or didn't… I'm still not… _quite_ sure what happened, but…" The swordsman grimaced. "I… whatever happened… it's the only way I found a safe way out of there… and the only reason I didn't just… give up." Though it was invisible in the darkness of night, a worried frown passed over Chung's face. Hearing Raven say something like that was always troublesome.

"What… What happened?" Again Raven went silent; but instead of contemplative, his eyes were as if he was far away.

"Do you… know the legend of that bridge…?" Legend? Chung had never heard of anything like that. "The people of Velder used to say that, on certain nights… you can see spirits… and… I did. I saw, or think… I… I saw…"

Raven did not continue the sentence, instead continuing on without clarifying. The paladin didn't point it out. He already had a good idea of where this was going.

"There should not have been any way to get out of there… and before… _that_, I didn't think there was… and everything looked so bleak… My eyes were burning from the heat, and I couldn't find a way out… but I…" Raven dragged his hand down his face. "Rena was… that arrow that had hit her, it… it had been laced with poison."

Chung held his breath. That wasn't something he'd been told. He didn't know that was a demon tactic, even though learning that shouldn't have been a surprise. Did the others know about this? He thought the arrow was the only…

"I couldn't see… I couldn't move… There was so much debris and fire I couldn't even tell where I was… She was dying in front of me and _I couldn't do anything_…"

"… But you're…" Chung swallowed. "You made it out alive, so how did you…?"

"… There was a light," Raven answered quietly. "A light that wasn't part of the flames, and it seemed to know I needed help. Honestly, I thought I was just… losing my mind from the heat. But it seemed so… it was like I knew it. It was familiar to me, so I followed it.

"We got out, one way or another… much to my surprise. We wound up at the entrance to the bridge… It was the only place that hadn't been touched. Even though we were safe, I still looked for the light… I needed proof I wasn't going insane. But when I finally saw it without my eyes burning away…"

Chung could guess easily what he saw. "It was her… right?"

"… She was smiling," the Blade Master spoke in a distant tone. "She looked sad, but… she was smiling at us… She disappeared soon after so… I don't even know if it was real… but I'd never seen her face like that before…"

Chung idly played with the canteen and its cap in his hands, wondering how to respond. Raven clearly thought he'd been delusional, but the way he spoke… It sounded like he very much wanted to believe in what he saw; but ghosts were… they couldn't be real, could they?

A cold jolt from his memories debunked that question almost immediately.

Aisha. The mishap with her magic. The lady she saw.

Seris.

But… she couldn't be seen normally, if he recalled correctly. Aisha could only see her after her spell backfired. Did Raven somehow come into contact with magic like that? Or was it that the legend of the bridge was true? Either way, he wasn't sure what to say. Raven had never been this open before. It was new, scary territory to him.

"… Err…" the guardian started shakily. "In… In my own opinion, I think that really was her. B-But that's just my own opinion, and I'm not saying that's what actually happened! I mean, I wasn't even there… but Raven, I think… I think you should believe whatever you want about that encounter – Whether it was real or not. Because, whatever happened back then… It's the reason you and Rena are here with us now."

"… What I'd like to believe…" Raven mumbled in repetition. "What I believe aside, I'm just relieved that we're alive… I don't think I could've handled something like that for a second time."

"Something like what?"

No reply. Chung heard nothing else from the man for some time, and assumed he was either asleep or had purposely stopped talking to end the conversation. Given the circumstances, they were equally likely. Figuring it best not to bother him further, Chung turned around and headed for the door.

Or he would have, had what Raven said not jarred him to a stop.

"Watching another woman I love die before my eyes… and I unable to do anything about it. Such a thing would have broken me for sure…"

All of a sudden, Chung felt like he shouldn't have been in the room as long as he had. He didn't hear that. He absolutely did not hear something that important and private. … Did he? Slowly, he turned back to the bed and stared at his teammate with cautious eyes.

"I… We all love Rena," he said tentatively. "She's a great person, and…" Another audible sigh from the bed.

"You know that's not what I meant, Chung… You're smarter than that…"

Chung's stomach dropped.

"You asked me what I believe happened… " the veteran continued. "Seris… I'd like to believe that it was her, and that she had… that she gave me her approval of sorts. That it was… _okay_… for me to move on. That I wasn't in the wrong, having these feelings again… but I would be childish to think something like that, wouldn't I? Maybe… I'm not as much an adult as I think I am… or maybe I'm just too hopeful."

He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to _think_. He felt like he'd just learned something incredibly important, but at the same time something that he shouldn't have learned in the first place.

_Raven loved Rena._ Chung's head swirled at the notion. Of all the things he expected to hear tonight, something like that – A confession, from _Raven_ of all people – had never even made the list.

It shouldn't have even been that surprising. The two were constantly close in and out of battle, so it should've been natural that something like this would happen. And yet…

He shouldn't be hearing this. He really, truly should not be hearing this. It was such a private matter, one he didn't feel he deserved to hear. The swordsman was normally so closed off that he would have to be out of his mind to admit something like that out loud, and for him to say it to him of all people-

… Oh, no.

Chung suddenly felt even worse. As he'd said before, Raven was never this open with anyone… and here he was opening up like a lily in the morning, saying things he never expected. He _would_ have to be out of his mind to admit something like that out of the blue, and to someone like him who he barely knew.

He likely would have never heard such things from Raven had the man not been heavily drugged. Chung thought he was doing better than the others, but how did he know that he _wasn't_ speaking words out of thin air? Perhaps he didn't know Raven as well as he thought, or he was just never around to hear him talk to openly, but… Some of it seemed a far stretch to accept. What if this was Raven's version of hallucinating? What if he was just imagining most of this, including his affection for Rena? Part of him hoped that Raven wasn't affected by the drugs, and that he just happened to be more willing to talk than usual… but he was starting to doubt it. Yet, if it were true…

… He was tired. He was tired, in shock, and his thoughts were going in circles. Add that to his own stress over his friends and Chung wasn't even sure if _he_ was hearing things right anymore. He was also more than a bit concerned that he could see the barest bit of sunlight from behind the trees.

Deciding that enough was enough, the guardian bid his friend good night and staggered across the hall to his own room. He crashed unceremoniously on his bed, not bothering to change or pull the covers back. He just wanted to sleep. Sleep, forget, and hope that everyone would be better in the morning.

* * *

An afternoon breeze from the window greeted him in place of the morning sun. Chung's bangs tickled him awake as the wind brushed them over his face. It was a much less harsh wake-up call than the usual bright light staring him down, but not as immediate. The guardian moved the offending hair away from his eyes and squinted at the ceiling. He hadn't a clue how long he'd been asleep; but clearly it was more than he'd anticipated, given that there wasn't a single dark corner in the room. He'd only wanted to sleep until the morning, not late in the day.

An overwhelming feeling of guilt propelled him out of bed. He couldn't believe he'd just _dozed_ like that! He was supposed to have been watching over the others until they were better, wasn't he? What kind of guardian was he if he couldn't even look after his friends?

In the back of his mind he knew that by the time he'd fallen asleep, everyone would've likely been alright and not needed him for much else. There was little risk that they'd fall under again and not come back. However, he was still very much drowsy and he was worried out of his mind, leaving dreadful scenarios the only prominent kind in his head.

If he'd been sleeping when someone needed him, or something happened… If he'd abandoned those in need again, let alone family… What if something happened? Chung shook his head, ruffling his already sleep-strewn hair. He would not think those thoughts. He would not think of such things before he'd even fully woken up.

Despite attempting to keep a positive air, he did not walk out of his room at his natural pace. He was hurried, eager to see how everyone had fared after their dilemma. And seeing that Raven's room was closest to his, he'd start there.

He almost didn't knock when he remembered last night. Chung frowned. He still questioned whether Raven had been under the influence of Joaquin's chemicals last night. He was only human, so he should have been… but everything he'd said had seemed too real to be a trick of the mind. At the same time however, it was very unlike Raven to talk so much to begin with. How did he know that discussion hadn't been a hallucination from start to finish? Maybe he didn't have to be seeing rainbows for him to be delusional. Joaquin and his experiments were known to have unpredictable side effects, after all. Maybe they differed based on the person?

He was thinking too much about this. Hallucination or not… when it came down to it, what he'd been told was really none of his business. He wouldn't ever bring it up. That was that. And only after deciding this did he realize that there had not been any response to his knocking.

Maybe he should try some more? Chung stared at the door in question. Maybe Raven just wasn't awake yet. That was entirely plausible. They _had_ been talking pretty late in the night.

As he decided to try Elsword next, the blond was intercepted by Ophelia standing in his way. She greeted him with her eternally strict golden stare, reciting no greeting as always. Chung backed up quickly and instead offered one of his own.

"Good morning, Miss Ophelia. How are you?"

No answer from the maid, but he would've been naïve to expect one. She instead walked around him and gave him a push forward from the back. Chung blinked.

"Err, you want me to go that way…? But I have to-" Ophelia cut him off with another, much more forceful push. She wasn't taking no for an answer, it seemed. He knew why. There was seldom any other reason for her to be so insistent. Chung sighed. "I get the picture… Eve's orders, right?" Another push. Yes, that _was_ definitely the reason. "Alright, alright. I'm going." His checkups could wait until later, apparently.

* * *

His steps stopped upon entering the kitchen, where his aforementioned checkups were automatically deemed unnecessary.

Chung stared in shock at how utterly normal the scene in front of him was. Elsword and Aisha were sitting down, partaking in their ritual of bickering while eating breakfast. Elesis – Why was she here? – was eating as well, sitting next to her brother and enjoying her food. Eve was at the head of the table, drinking tea served by a very nervous-looking Oberon and somehow seeming at peace despite the arguing going on not even two feet away. Raven was taking refuge from the noise with what he assumed was a cup of coffee, though by his irritable expression it seemed like it wasn't working too well. And Rena was-

"Good morning, Chung~!"

The incoming hug almost knocked him off balance. Rena held him tightly, nearly cutting off his air supply until she backed up. The archer gave him a bright smile. "How are you feeling today?"

"Th… That's what I should be asking you guys!" Chung stuttered in shock. He couldn't believe it. Everyone had been in such pain the night before, almost on their deathbeds if not for their medicine. Now… They were looking as they always did. Everyone remained in their nightclothes despite it being noon, and overall it seemed more like a morning scene, but they were okay.

No, they were more than okay. _They were_ _alive_.

"The medicine Add created did its job," Aisha said in relief. "I never thought I'd have to experience something like _that_… I really thought I was going to die."

"Joaquin's a bastard," Elsword grumbled through a mouthful of food. "If he wasn't already dead, I'd kill him."

"Chew and then talk, Elsword," Elesis chided her brother, smacking his back. The smaller redhead almost choked on his pancakes from the force. Elesis then glanced at Chung and smiled. "I'm grateful for what you did, by the way. Thank you." The paladin stared in confused.

"I… But I didn't… Add is the one who cured them, not me…"

"Maybe, but you've also warranted my gratitude. Eve told us about last night."

"… Eve did…?" Rena softly stroked the younger boy's hair.

"You were up for almost the whole night looking after everyone and making sure they were okay," she said, "even tiring yourself out in the process. I don't think we can properly thank you for that."

"But all I did was watch over you guys…" Chung looked to the ground. "And you probably would've been fine without me anyway-"

"Don't say things like that," Elesis interrupted. "Maybe they would've been fine, or maybe things could've gotten worse. Add is the one who made the cure, but you're the one who bothered to take care of everyone and make sure it was working. In my opinion, both of those are noble, notable, and the reason I found my brother alive today." The Grand Master patted her brother's head playfully, to his chagrin. "I don't know how I can thank you for something like that, but like I said… I'm truly grateful for it."

"Come on, sis…" Elsword grumbled in embarrassment. "Not in front of everyone…"

"Hmph. Don't be so ashamed of being loved, you dork." Aisha giggled at the siblings' interaction before giving Chung her own words.

"We knew you'd be tired," she explained, "so we didn't bother waking you up. Overall, you deserved it given that you got almost no sleep last night. You didn't have to look after us, but you did anyway. I don't really know how to thank you for that, but…"

"No, please," Chung said, chewing his bottom lip to try and stop its quivering. "You… You guys are… I don't need any thanks. I'm just… just happy you guys are alright."

"I would like to give you a word of thanks as well," Eve spoke up, setting her tea down. "You also helped me administer the medicine that preserved their lives. That as well is something I commend and am grateful for."

"Eve… I…" Chung rubbed the corners of his eyes with his wrists. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't start that here. "Th-Thanks… Thanks a lot."

"Why are you thanking me? I am showing gratitude to you."

"N-No reason, I'm just…" The boy gave a wide smile, just about giving up his attempts at wiping his tears. "I'm just so happy you're all _alive_."

"We are too," Rena replied, giving him a second, less suffocating hug. "So, thank you." Raven gave him a nod from his corner of the kitchen.

"Dry your tears and eat something," he said. "You could use it."

"I- I will. Thank you." Rena reluctantly released him from her grasp, allowing him to take his usual seat across from Aisha.

As he began filling his plate with fruit and eggs, Elsword let out a tired groan. "Man, am I glad that stuff wore off… I swear I was seeing some weird things in my sleep last night. And I don't mean _normal_ dream weird, either. I don't remember ever seeing shit like that before." Elesis whapped him on the head. The Rune Slayer immediately sat up and held his head.

"Watch your language."

"Alright already, no need to hit me… _Oww_…"

"So what kind of things did you dream about anyway?" Aisha questioned curiously.

"The same thing as you, actually…" Chung replied involuntarily. He regretted it as soon as he said it. Aisha and Elsword looked at him in surprise. Elesis blinked.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"I… err…" Chung mumbled. "They were, uhh… were… talking in their sleep…"

"Eh!?" Aisha immediately blushed. "W-We were? How much did you hear?"

"N-Not much, I think! Something about el tree fruit and Chloe and rainbows… Elsword mentioned something similar but I think he turned into a Phoru somehow." Aisha buried her face in her hands.

"Oh, that's just embarrassing… I didn't think I was talking out loud like that." Elsword looked as embarrassed as the mage, but played it off in a much cooler manner.

"Well, it could've been worse… I think." Rena glanced at Chung in surprise.

"I don't recall seeing things like that… Everyone was doing this…?"

"Err… Don't worry, you didn't say anything too embarrassing…" Chung danced around his words carefully, taking a small bite out of a strawberry in the meantime. "Just something about your friends back home and, uh… someone being executed." Rena made a face.

"I can't say I remember the latter, but… If it's true, don't ever want to think of such things again. I'd rather not have to picture someone being killed."

"Wait, so what did Raven say?" Elsword suddenly asked, a grin creeping to his face. "I bet it was something _really_ fu- messed up." Elesis glared at him for his almost slip-up. He gave a nervous smile back, completely ignoring the shielded annoyance Raven was giving off at his question.

"What Raven said…?" Chung looked quickly from the veteran back to his own plate. "Err, I…"

"I doubt he said anything," Eve interrupted. "His arm, though disabled in battle, is still a working piece of Nasod technology. It was made with the intention that it would help him survive for as long as possible while under the command of the former Nasod king, and as such it is the largest key in maintaining his health. It would have filtered out the drugs quickly and let the medicine take effect much faster than normal. He would have been tired and possibly a bit… unsure of his surroundings, but it is unlikely he was having such delusional images at all."

"A-Are you _serious_?" Chung blurted out. "_None_?"

He regretted speaking as soon as he caught Raven's suspicious stare on him. Tensing under the scrutiny and hoping the Blade Master hadn't seen him look his way, the youngest member of the group went back to eating his breakfast.

"Nothing at all?" Elsword repeated. "Aww, that's boring."

"Shut up and eat," Raven grunted tersely.

All of a sudden, Chung immensely regretted not stuffing his face with food earlier. It would've been a good way to stop himself from talking.

* * *

Later on, he also came to regret that he didn't go for his daily run at his normal time. He couldn't help it, due to how long he'd slept and his internal schedule being a bit off; but he _could_ wish to disappear.

A knock came at his bedroom door later in the day, while he was inspecting his Destroyer for any Joaquin-induced permanent damage. Before he could set his weapon down and get the door, Raven entered quietly and closed it behind him.

"I want to ask you something," he said, "if you're not busy."

Chung's nerves from before suddenly surfaced again. There could be only one reason Raven would want to talk to him like this.

"Um, sure," he mumbled his reply. "Do you need something…?"

"… What Eve said when everyone was eating," the veteran began. "You seemed… surprised at the bit about my arm."

"O-Oh, is that it?" Chung laughed nervously. "I _was_ surprised… I didn't think your left arm could function like tha-"

"That's not what I meant," Raven cut him off briskly. "I said… _some_thing last night, didn't I? I remember little, but I know I did and I know you were there. You wouldn't have reacted like that if I _hadn't_ said something. And you seem to be very on-edge just from me being here." Chung's mouth suddenly went dry. Raven held him in place with a critical stare. "With this reaction, it couldn't have been something insignificant. What did I say?"

"… I… I don't… I don't know," the younger boy replied quietly. By the swordsman's expression, he didn't believe him at all. Chung pressed his lips into a thin line. "What… What difference would it make if you did say something?"

"… … …" Raven didn't move, but he did avert his eyes from the guardian's blue ones temporarily. "… The difference is my needing to know how much _you_ know… and whether or not I can trust that you'd do me the favor of forgetting about it."

"O-Oh…" Chung began to realize the reason for his visit. From his words, it appeared that Raven did actually remember what he said. At the very least, he seemed to have a basic idea of it; and he wanted him to forget about it.

Idly, he wondered if he _could_ forget about it in the long run. It would escape his mind temporarily in the future, of course. There'd be more important things to think about. Yet at the same time, he wasn't sure if he could truly erase that memory from his head.

"_Watching another woman I love die before my eyes…"_

No, he didn't think he could. The raw emotion behind those words was something Chung would have a very hard time forgetting, even if Raven asked him to; but then… how was he supposed to answer?

"… Raven, I… I don't remember what you said either," he lied, "but even if I did… you have my word it's nothing to be ashamed of."

The Blade Master regarded him with cautious, narrowed eyes, making Chung feel as though his response had been the wrong kind.

Eventually, the glare subsided and the man's shoulders lowered in what appeared to be reprieve. As always, he was never sure about what Raven was thinking. If anything, last night taught him that he didn't know Raven well at all.

"Is that so…" he said in a breath. "Either way… Whatever it was, it's… irrelevant. Unimportant. Do your best to keep it out of your mind."

"I… I will…"

Chung was alone again soon after, left with only his Destroyer and his thoughts.

The paladin felt tired – Even more than last night. It was clear Raven had more than a decent idea of what he'd said. It made him a good deal upset for his senior, seeing as he was almost… embarrassed by it. As if he didn't want anyone to know he was capable of loving someone. More than that, Chung was sad for him because it seemed like Raven thought he didn't _deserve_ to have emotions like that.

_Irrelevant_. _Unimportant_. Those were adjectives Chung would _never_ use to describe love. Did Raven seriously think that about his own feelings? That was… an incredibly depressing thing to think about.

He didn't know a lot about the man's past, but everyone deserved to be happy… didn't they?

He wasn't sure what he would do in the future, if he would eventually forget about this or not; but for now, Chung put his Destroyer down and changed into his lighter clothes.

Maybe a run would help clear his mind.

* * *

One day, I should write about what happened on the Hope Bridge. I might include it in Veritas if I get the chance. (I must fix that beginning before I even think of continuing it.)

I'm uploading this in a hurry, so my final once-over of this will have to be later. On a side note, I feel I should mention that most of my Elsword writing takes place in the same canon. I.e., my oneshots and this are technically on the same timeline and all connected. Take that as you will.


End file.
